Attachment for internal combustion engines



Aug. 2o, 1940.

U. SAUER ATTACHMENT FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES original Filed July e,l 195s QN Www@ mmm s@ ww ww QQ.

,.,llbillll llllllu Patented Aug. 20, 1940 PATENT OFFICE ATTACHMENT FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Urban Sauer, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor of onethird to Harry R. Levy, McKeesport, Pa.

Original application July 6,

1938, Serial No.

217,764. Divided and this application August 24, 1938, Serial No. 226,593

1 Claim.

This invention relatesto internal combustion engines, and more particularly to an attachment to be placed on the exhaust side of the engine.

An object of this invention is to provide an attachment of this kind which is adapted to form a suction in the exhaust line so as to facilitate the scavenging of the burned gases from a combustion chamber of vthe engine.

Another object of this invention is to providea device of this character which is adapted to eliminate back pressure in the exhaust lines of the engine.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of this kind which through suction formed in the device is adapted to cool the exhaust side of the engine.

\ A further object of this invention is to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth a means whereby through the suction of the exhaust gases from the engine the incoming unburned gases may be entirely used for the production of power .so that the power of the engine is thereby increased.

This invention is a division of my co-'pending application, Serial No. 217,764 filed July 6, 193,8.

To the above ends essentially and to others which may hereinafter appear, theinvention consistsof the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the attachment showing the adaptation thereof with respect to an internal combustion engine. The engine is shown in dotted lines,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the attachment,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional View of a modified form of attachment,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in side elevationzillustrating the whirling or defiecting means' instance is disclosed as a .four cylinder engine being provided with four separate exhaust outlets on one side thereof.V Irrorder to provide a suction on the exhaust side of the engine E there is installed with the latter, the attachment in accordance with this invention.' The said attachment is in the form of a Venturi structure and is so termed.

The structure includes a series of tandemwise disposed coupled together horizontally disposedv open rear housings I5, 25, 32 and 38, of like form, and a set of spaced axially aligned horizontally disposed inner annular members I9, 28, 34, 40 of like formand each of uniform diameter. The housings I5, 25, 32 and 38 include front end walls I8, 23, 3|, 31 respectively; annular front end parts I1, 21, 21a, 21b respectively of uniform diameter and of less diameter than the said front parts; annular tapered intermediate parts |5a, |5b, |5c and |5d respectively which gradually decrease in diameter from the front parts to said rear parts; and spaced exhaust gases conductors leading from the exhausts of the cylinders of the engines to the outer housings, and each of said con# ductors is shown by way of example as a. tube. The housings I5, 25, 32, 38 have connected there'- to the exhaust conducting ytubes I6, 26, 33, 39 respectively opening into the inner sides of the front end parts I1, 21, 21a, 21b respectively. The front end walls I8, 24, 3|, 31 are formed with openings 8a, 24d, 3|a and 31a respectively have 'ing their axes aligning with the axes of the rear parts of said housings.

The members I9, 28, 34 and 40 are secured intermediate their ends to the walls of the openings IBa, 24a, 3I'a, 31a respectively. The member I9 has a portion extending rearwardly from wall I8 and a portion extending forwardly from such wall; the member 28 has a portion extending rearwardly from wall 24 and a portion extending forwardly from such wall; the member 34 has a ly from wall 31 `and av portion extending forwardly from such wall. The forward end of member I9 is provided with a flange 20 for attaching to said vmember I9 aforced air conducting means 2| leading from the engine E, as more particularly described in my application aforesaid. The member I9 constitutes a forced air intake for the Venturi structure and also a conductor for such air. The members 28| 34 and 40 constitute conductors for a mixture formed of air and exhaust gases. The rear part 42 of housing 38 constitutes an outlet for the mixture4 aforesaid. The part 42 is flanged, as at 43, for connection to a conducting-off means, not shown. The rearwardly exvinto the forward end of member I9.

tending portions of the members I9, 28, 34 and 4I] are arranged within and spaced from the inner faces of the intermediate parts of the housings, as well as being spaced forwardly from the rear end parts of the housings. The housings have their intermediate parts of greater length than their front or rear end parts. The rear ends of the annular members I9, 28, 34 and 4U are spaced from the rear ends of and discharge into the tapered intermediate parts of the housings.

Between the rear ends of the forward members of the set of members and the forward ends of the rear members of the set of members, the housings I5, 25 and 32 are formed with mixing chambers indicated at 13, 14, 'I5 respectively. The'housing 38 is formed with a mixing chamber 1E.

The forwardly extending portions of the rear members of the set of members coact with the rear end parts of the rear housings I5, 25 and 32 of the series of housings for coupling the housings of the series together in tandemwise relation.

The rear end portions of the outer periphery of the members I9, 28, 34 and 40are tapered and provided with blades, fins or ribs 22, 29, 35, 4I respectively which coact with the said peripheral portions to form grooves having their bottoms inclining downwardly from their leading ends to their follower ends. The grooves are open at each end and have their rear ends open at the rear ends of the members I9, 28, 34 and 40. The grooves in connection with the blades 22,

act to deflect or whirl the exhaust gases after being supplied to the front end parts of the housings. The fins on each member are of like form, of substantially spiral contour arranged thereon in a circumferential row and are disposed subfstantially lengthwise of the member.

The forward movement of an automobile or an air craft will compress atmospheric air into the intake tube through the funnel directly into the annual member of the forward housing with respect to the structure shown by Figure 3, and into the vacuum chambers about the engine, with respect to the structure shown by Figure 2, building up a pressure therein which leads into the means 2|. The said means 2I open directly The com pressed atmospheric air acts as a motive fluid for producing suction in the exhaust lines from the engine cylinders.

The hot gases discharging from the series of cylinders are conducted to the housings of the device and owing through the grooves on the tapered periphery of the annular members, direct the gases toward a center, forming a pocket of hot gases rotating in a vortex creating pocket of vlessened pressure to the rear of the center which lls up from the rear as a void will, ll up, manifesting a suction in the annular member. This suction. in the annular members results whether the vehicle is at rest or in motion and is not dependent on the pressure of the atmospheric air built up through the air intake or funnel. Inasmuch as the spiral tapered grooves on the series of annular members, each operate separately and independently causing suction through the length of the annual members, which are coaxially arranged, it is obvious that any opening into the series of annular members coaxially arranged and joined into each other will be operated upon by the suction produced in the annular members and as some of the exhaust valves leading from the cylinders are open when some are closed there will always be gases rotating through the grooves of its particular nozzle head, causing a suction in the annular members coaxially arranged so that when the exhaust valve reopens the suction will pull on the cylinder thereby more rapidly scavenging the gas therein which, in turn, will create suction in the annular members after rotating to the center. If but only a single injector is used the scavenging would be limited to the degree that the exhaust gases exhaust faster by reason of the rotating of the gases, but in series, the operation of the gases through the injector from the exhaust lines whose valves are open gives continuity to the suction created in the annular members coaxially arranged so that the pulling effect is felt on any port opening into it.

In addition, thefact that the atmospheric air that rushes into the pocket formed by the hot exhaust gases in the vortex described results in a rapid expansion and accelerating of the center forwardly or increased velocity of the mixture.

The fact that the forced air operating through the vacuum chambers about the cylinders and into the air pipe or directly through the funnel into the air tubes adds motive fluid which, when the vehicle is in motion, augments the force of the suction upon the exhaust gases. The combined effect of the suction produced by the rotation of the gases and the suction induced by the motive iiuid of the air will effectively scavenge the gases of the moving vehicle.

It will be apparent that even if the suction in the air tubes only overcomes atmospheric pressure in the exhaust line at the end of the discharge pipe or tail pipe, that the suction on the cylinders induced by the motive fluid of forced air will be increased and made more effective on the cylinders to that extent, otherwise, the gain against the cylinders would be lessened by the resistance of the atmospheric pressure at the end of the discharge pipe into the atmosphere.

Although the attachment, as shown, is illustrated in connection with an engine of the four cylinder type, it is to be understood that it is for use in connection with any engine having any desired number of cylinders.

In Figure 3, I have shown a slightly modified form of this suction device wherein I have provided a substantially frustro-conical body I5n which has a pipe or nipple I (ia secured thereto having a ange 44 at its outer end for attachment to the exhaust port of the engine. The body I5a is provided with a substantially cylindrical base portion I'Ia and an end wall I 8L1 closes the outer end of the cylindrical portion Il. An air tube I9b is threaded through the end wall I8at and projects slightly beyond the outer side of the wall |88. A funnel shaped intake member 45 having an enlarged inner end portion 46 is threaded onto the projecting end of the air tube I9b.

This funnel member 45 constitutes an intake so that this member may be directed forwardly of the engine so that the forward movement of the vehicle will tend to force the air inwardly through the intake member 45.

In order to provide a means whereby the quantity of air entering the air tube I9b may be properly regulated, I have provided a butterfly valve 41 which is mounted on a shaft 48. The valve 41 is disposed inwardly of the forward end of the funnel 45 and may be controlled by means of a handle or operating member 49. The inner end of the air tube ISb is provided with spirally arranged fins 22b similar to the fins 22, and the inner end of the body I5.is provided with a cylindricalv portion in which an intermediate or inner air tube 5I is threaded. An air tube 5I extends through an end wall 52 of an intermediate member 53. The reduced or inner end of the member 53 may be secured as by Welding or the like to an end wall 54 of a. second inner or intermediate member 55. 'I'he intermediate member 53 is provided with a pipe 56 having a iiange 51 for attachment to an exhaust port and the exhaust gases discharging from the intermediate member 53 are adapted to pass spirally arranged fins or blades 58 provided on the inner end of the air tube 5l.

An air tube 59 is threaded into the end wall 54 of the body and this air tube 59 is provided with spirally arranged fins or blades 60 on the inner end thereof. A tube or pipe' 6I communicates with the body 55 and is provided with a flange B2 for attachment to an exhaust port. The forward end of the body 55 is provided with a cylindrical portion B3 forming a mixing chamber 54, and an air tube is threaded through an end wall 66 of an outer body 61. The body 61 is similar to the body l5* being provided with a pipe 68 having a ange B9 for attachment to an exhaust port.

The small or apex end of the body 6T vis provided with a flange 'i0 so as to permit the attachment of a carry-oil means or pipe to a suitable device such as a low pressure turbine, a muiiier or other similar device. The space between the inner end of the tube lsb and the apex of the body iiia forms a mixing chamber 1I, and the space betweenthe inner end of the tube 5I and the end wall 5e provides a mixing chamber 12.

What I claim is: An attachment for internal combustion engines cf automotive vehicles, said attachment including a series of tandemwise arranged, horizontally disposed open rear housings having front end parts, rear end parts. tapered intermediate parts, front end walls for said'yfront end parts and mixing chambers in the rear of said intermediate parts, a set of axially aligned spaced horizontally disposed tandemwise arranged annular members opening at their rear ends into said chambers,

the foremost member of said set being secured intermediate its ends to and extending through the front wall of the foremost housing, the other members of said set being secured at their forward ends to the-rear end parts of and extending rearwardly through the front end walls of the others of the said housing, the said annular members being of uniform inner diameter and having their inner portions spaced from the said front, intermediate and rear parts, the foremost member of said set constituting a combined intake and conductor for a suction creating motive fluid in the form of forced atmospheric air created on the l travel oithe vehicle, the others of the said members constituting conductors, means communicat ing with the atmosphere for conducting forced atmospheric air to said foremost member, means connected to the forward end part oi each housing for supplying exhaust gases therein forwardly of the intermediate part and rearwardly of the front wall of such housing, each of said members having the rearterminal portion of its outer periphery tapered, each tapered portion being provided with a circumferentially arranged row-of spaced blades substantially of spiral form disposed substantially lengthwise of the said peripheral portion, said rows of blades coacting with said taperedportions to provide groups of suhstantially spiral grooves opening at their leading and follower ends and having inclined lbottoms, said grooves, blades and tapered portions nroviding for the rotation of the gases supplied to the housings to create a suction on the incoming gases whereby the combined effect of the suction produced by the rotation of the gases and the suction induced by the motive fluid will effectively scavenge the exhaust gases from the moving ve-v hicle, and the open rear end of the rearmost housing constituting van outlet for the attachment.

' URBAN SAUER. 

